


The Wind

by Cyntax_Error



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Bisexuality, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Character Death, Drama, Dubious Consent, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Hate Sex, Love/Hate, Lust, OC, Romance, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Smut, Tragedy, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-03
Updated: 2020-05-20
Packaged: 2020-06-03 03:53:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19455793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cyntax_Error/pseuds/Cyntax_Error
Summary: You are an introverted scientist set out on a mission to inspect and retrieve a piece of active Sheikah technology in the Hebra mountains. Revali, Rito Champion, is tasked to assist you. A slow burn destined to burn hot and bright.





	1. First Impressions

**Author's Note:**

> Spelling errors ahead, probably.  
> Come chat with me on Discord! Post-Nuclear Sweetheart#8297

Your fingers danced along the darkened surface of the Sheikah slate. Bright blue cobalt came to life within the various inscriptions you could only roughly translate as you brought up the map on the device. It would be another hour before you reached your destination.

You pocketed the device that Princess Zelda lent to you for the expedition. Your duties were clear; find the piece of Sheikah technology rumoured to be within the Hebra mountains, disable it if need be, and pick it apart with the assistance of the royal guard and champion of the area. 

"Mistress," called the voice of a man who rode ahead of you on a brown horse. Your royal guardsman. "how long are we to stay within the village?"

Your eyes wandered from the grass coated hills to your large guard. "We have enough to last us a week of provisions and bunk at the local inn. Hopefully it will not take us that long, Hylia above."

You were far from impressed with the mission at hand and it bled into your voice. You understood that someone needed to be dispatched before the princess herself could inspect the suspected tech, but of all people she could appoint, she chose you - a laboratory dweller whose skin has paled incredibly since accepting your position as a scientist. A field agent would have sufficed, but no, it had to be someone with higher knowledge in Sheikah ways. It could have been Impa or Purah, but the two were busy overseeing the excavation and discovery of the supposed last Divine Beast, Rudania.

"And this champion...?" Your guard, Tirus, continued with a question.

Your eyes scanned the scenery. It was all you could really do at this point while on horseback. "Rito confidence, Revali. I'll warn you, as much as you love well placed remark - as do I - you'll have to hold your tongue around this champion. He is rather..." You scrunched up your lips in thought. There were so many words to describe what you've heard of him, and none were too polite. You didn't want to have a bad impression of the champion before meeting him, so you had to choose your words carefully. "...boastful."

Wind blew through your loose locks. You had just entered the region.

You could only see the back of Tirus' head, yet you knew he was smiling. "Does that mean petty words would hurt his ego?"

You tsk'd. "None of that, Tirus... although you would be correct." A small smile crept across your lips. If there was anything to help your frustration, it was Tirus' witty remarks.

-

After an hour of riding along the dirt path through the cool, wooded area, a giant shadow cascaded the land beneath the towering rock monolith that supported the Rito Village. The sight of the bright blue sky behind the colossal stone bird and the rolling white clouds passing through the outstretched wings of the Divine Beast took your breath away. Unfortunately, while the shining sun made the village look warm and inviting, it was instead breezy and cool to the point a warmer outfit was necessary. After stopping in at the stables to tie your horses and change into warmer clothes, you set off towards the village. You wore a simple down coat that extended to your knees, matching gloves and scarf, and boots that extended over your tight trousers to your knees. Each and every button that held your outfit closed adorned the royal sigil of Hyrule.

You crossed bridge after bridge that connected the smaller stone towers until you met a Rito guard with spear in hand. You craned your neck up to greet the Rito guard, all the while thinking, are all Rito this tall or are we Hylians really just this small?

You bowed before the guard who, although taken aback, bowed in return. "In the name of Princess Zelda of Hyrule, we have come in search of Champion Revali."

The Rito guard scratched his head. You sensed awkwardness in the air. "He's up on Medoh right now, but if you want to go ahead and wait for him in the village, by all means."

Perhaps my formality was too much. You decided to smile and reply in a more relaxed tone. "Sure, thank you!" 

Tirus followed steadily behind you as you took in the strange village. Wide wooden steps coiled up the stone monolith and with every landing a wooden hut hung off the outcroppings of the monolith. You eventually came across a black Rito who ushered you closer, shouting that this was the Inn.

You paid the Inn keeper for two nights up front. She responded with a sweet smile and said she was surprised to see two Hylians visiting the village. Upon unpacking your things you noticed one major difference; the Inn possessed beds while the living huts all had tall hanging hammocks. You sighed, relieved you didn't have to climb on top of Tirus just to reach your bed.

"I'm going to find the champion and inform him of our arrival," you said to Tirus as he began sorting his gear. "so if you wish to stay behind you're free to do so."

Tirus simply nodded, doing as you said to hold his tongue a little too well, and off you went into the village. Immediately to your left you noticed a sort of landing with a figure standing on it. As you approached you gasped. A tall, lithe, bright yellow Rito with stripes of whites and oranges and dark blues decorating her wings stood, head craned all the way back to watch the sky. Without thinking your legs carried you towards the gorgeous Rito, and upon hearing your footsteps she turned to look at you with jewelled eyes.

Before you could speak, the female Rito's face lit up. "Oh my," she breathed, obviously checking your figure up and down. "aren't you just the prettiest Hylian I have ever seen!"

You felt your entire face light up red from her sudden compliment. Shocked, you tried to reply with integrity but instead squeaked out, "I was just about to say the same thing. To you. About being a Rito. Pretty."

You screamed internally, but the Rito's laughter helped stave off your wish for demise. "Thank you!" She thrusted a wing towards you. "My name is Ta'viti, but you can call me Tavi. What's your name?"

You grasped the wing gingerly, unsure of how Rito appendages worked. "My- My name is Cathrine, but any variation of that will work."

"Cathrine..." Ta'viti mulled over your name before announcing. "Cattie! So, what brings a pretty Hylian all the way up here?"

Your face flushed again. You were often in solitude, and the most company you get these days are your colleagues, so to receive such compliments from someone you just met was flattering and almost uncomfortable. "I'm just waiting for someone-" you gasped when a breeze came through the landing and lifted your hair to fly all around your head. You could hear Ta'viti giggle at the sight.

"It's not a good idea to be in a windy place with untied hair. Come, I'll braid your hair, and Cattie can tell me a little about herself, hm?"

You glanced up at the circling Medoh. You hadn't any clue when the champion would arrive, but you supposed it wouldn't hurt to make a friend. You smiled up at the beautiful Rito. "Let me get my comb."

-

You sat at the edge of the particular landing with a strange sigil in the centre. Three hours had passed and still no sign of the champion. You played with your new fishtail braid with three bright yellow feathers tied into a hidden braid behind your left ear. Ta'viti told you Rito feathers were very cold resistant, and she happily placed three of her own into your hair. You smiled to yourself, thinking back to your conversation with Ta'viti. The two of you planned to meet tomorrow for lunch. A warm swelling in your chest startled you - you hadn't been this excited to meet someone in quite some time.

A distant flapping that quickly grew louder caught your attention before a startlingly strong wind blew at your back. Before you could recover from the wind, a voice cut through the air.

"You've been sitting there for some time." Said a smooth, male voice from behind you. You clambered to your feet to meet this voice, and gasped upon seeing a male Rito with mesmerizing, shining Prussian blue feathers. His emerald gaze grew more and more scrutinizing as time went on without a response from you. The Rito raised a pale yellow brow. "Why?"

"I..." You gave your head a quick shake. "I- I'm sorry, you pulled me from thought so suddenly." 

Your eyes landed on a bright blue ascot with a white bird symbol, and your lips had spread into a smile. "You are the Rito champion, Revali."

Watching you smile pulled a small smirk from him as he extended his wings to display his grandeur. "Rito Champion, indeed! I suppose you came to watch me in action?"

You couldn't help but fiddle with your fingers while speaking to him. Just exchanging several sentences, you could tell Revali was oozing with pride and personality, and the way he carried himself made you feel so small. You were never one for boastful antics - you found them to be quite nauseating - but remembering to keep your remarks to yourself you remained polite.

"No, actually," Upon hearing 'no' his mood seemed to drop. He folded his wings and that soul piercing stare returned. With every step he took towards you you felt unnerved, like you had insulted the Rito. "I am here on behalf of-"

You yelped when Revali suddenly grabbed hold of one of your golden buttons holding your coat shut and pulled your chest forward. Pink blotted your cheeks as he inspected the sigil on the button above your breasts. "Princess Zelda." He finished. His green eyes darted from the button he still held to your eyes. "So you're the lackey she sent to accompany me."

Finding his presence far too uncomfortable, you took his feathered hands gently in yours and pried them off your coat. "Actually," you began with the sweetest smile you could muster. You were not some lackey, you are a royal scientist! "the Princess has requested you to accompany me. She doesn't know what to expect out there, and has asked us to-"

"Find some piece of technology." Revali pulled his hands from yours and rolled his eyes. "A menial task for someone such as I, but if the Princess wrote me personally then I couldn't just refuse."

Revali leaned in close to you, leaning to stare you straight down. His piercing gaze held your own, too enthralled to look away. After seconds red bloomed across your face, and the hardened stare melted into a smirk. He stifled a small laugh. "Cute," he teased before stepping away.

You were frozen on the spot and unable to move.

"Six in the morning. We'll meet here." Revali turned away from you and stretched out his wings. He glanced over his wings at you. "Don't be late."

A sudden tunnel of wind lifted the Rito into the sky, and he was gone into the dark starry sky.

Asshole.


	2. The Wrong Foot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spellings errors maybe ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯  
> Sorry if this chapter is slow! World building and all that. Next chapter will have some action.

The moment you laid in the down-filled bed at the Inn you instantly fell asleep. Between the long journey on horseback, making a sudden friend and your stand-off-ish meeting with the champion, an incredibly soft bed to sink your tired body into was exactly what you needed. All you remembered was your stinging eyes fluttering shut before you were rudely shaken awake by Tirus.

You groaned, not used to being awake at this hour, and rolled over.

"Mistress." Tirus called for you. You responded with another groan. "Mistress!" No response.

The heavy blanket was thrown from your body and the cold air invaded your bare skin. You bolted up and clambered around for the blanket, only to find Tirus holding it from your possession.

"It's time to wake. Get dressed." He barked.

"You're not in the barracks right now. No need to shout," you muttered before yawning. You pawed around your bed for the Sheikah slate you discarded in your sheets and checked the time. 05:37. You groaned. It was far too early for your liking.

You pulled yourself from the heavenly bed and pulled on the winter garb from yesterday. You quickly combed through your loose hair and attempted the braid Ta'viti left in your hair, but each attempt ended in failure. How in Hylia did she manage to braid my hair? Further questions flooded your mind: How did she do that when her fingers are feathers? Or you thought they were feathers.

Tirus poked his head back in the Inn. "Are you done? It's almost time to go."

Growling, you pocketed your comb and hair tie and grabbed the Sheikah slate along with a journal and portable quill. You would just have to deal with your locks flying behind you. You filled up your pack with the essential items and finally left the Inn with your guard.

"You look tired." He noted, and you threw him a deathly stare.

"Gee." Was all you could politely say. You were sure your under-eyes shined bright purple, and you were not in the mood to be played with.

Immediately your hand flew to pinch the bridge of your nose. Played with. You knew the champion would have something mocking to say this morning.

Tirus eyed you as you both made your way to the landing platform. "Something bothering you, Mistress?"

You blew hot air through your nose. "Our dear Champion will surely have something to say this morning." You mumbled. You could see the familiar Rito standing near the edge of the platform, his back towards you. You shot Tirus a look. "I meant it yesterday when I said keep any smart remarks to yourself. It will surely be a test of strength, but you'll be doing me a favour if you kept your responses short." Your voice dipped into a whisper.

Tirus gave you a grin before defaulting back into a neutral expression. "Yes, Mistress."

You gave your cheeks several quick slaps in an attempt to get any colour back to the surface of your pale, sallow skin. You found you looked more approachable with flushed skin than your usual sun-fearing tone. You forced a smile several times, exercising your lips before calling out to the Rito.

"Good morning, Revali."

The Rito turned to greet you in return but stopped upon noticing Tirus' presence. Taking several quick steps he swooped into Tirus' personal space with glaring eyes. The two men saw eye-to-eye, and it was in this moment you noticed how much shorter Revali was compared to Ta'viti who easily towered over you and your guard.

"What is this," He look several quick glances around Tirus' person before scoffing. "low-bred Hylian doing here?"

You wedged yourself between Tirus and Revali as soon as you noticed Tirus' balled fist tighten as if he were about to throw a punch at the Rito. "He," you started a bit too loudly. "will be protecting us on our journey. Revali, this is Tirus."

Revali's eyes scoured the Hylian guard over until a smirk graced his beak. "Protect us? He'll only slow us down."

You crossed your arms over your bosom. "We will be no slower with Tirus in our party when we'll be on horseback-"

"Horseback?" Revali threw a wing across his chest as an act of taking offence. Scoffing, he eyed you with disbelief. "Dear girl, do you comprehend who exactly you're with? Horseback is not an option."

Your eyes fluttered shut for a moment. Remember, you're representing the princess, so be polite, you soothed yourself. You took a step forward to create space away from Tirus and the haughty Rito. "I'm sorry, but neither Tirus or I possess wings, otherwise flying would be an option."

You stared up silently at Revali, doing exactly what he had done to you last night. As you waited for him to break you took this time to take in his features; most of his feathers were a Prussian blue with the exception of his face and tips and insides of his wings. His brows, or so you guessed, were a pale yellow and red rimmed his gorgeous green eyes. Two bright red rectangular spots marked his cheeks and his beak was the colour of muted sunflower.

After several moments, the Rito caved and pulled his gaze from yours. Your spirits seemed to rise; it was a small victory, sure, but a victory nonetheless.

"Fine," the Rito muttered. "but I don't want to hear a single complaint from those lips of yours when it takes us a full day just to reach our destination." He honed in on Tirus, giving him a look of annoyance. "Let me guess; you're of the silent variety, too, yes?"

In response to the pompous bird, Tirus offered a smirk to rival Revali's. "No, but I'm sure you'll wish I were the silent type."

You hissed at Tirus and immediately he backed down. An amused look played across Revali's face. "It seems as though the little girl has her guard dog on a tight leash," he mocked. "however, we should be off. You've spent too much time flapping your gums."

You could feel your blood begin to boil. "Now wait a moment-"

But before you could refute, the Rito made his way to the edge of the landing. "I'll see you at the stables." With that, Revali thrusted himself off the landing and soared, soon blending in with the dark sky above.

-

"I wish I could fly..." you muttered to yourself and both you and Tirus made your way to the stables. 

The sun began to rise soon after Revali's descent, bathing the valley and purple mountainsides in a bright orange glow that stung your eyes. Such imagery brought you back to the days you would spend all night awake with Purah in one of the laboratories until sunrise crept through the windows, signalling it was time to rest. You couldn't stifle the smile that made its way to your face as you reminisced silently about your dear friend. She was loud, outgoing, always friendly and uniquely herself - so much unlike yourself, which is why you seemed to be attracted to her, you figured. She was everything you were not in a social aspect, and together you balanced each other out.

Your eyes wandered to the sky and watched as the shining stars were steadily engulfed by daylight. It's true that you weren't impressed with being sent out, but the change in scenery from your usual lab walls was something nice.

"You look awful happy. Did something happen in the last twenty minutes that changed your mood, little scholar?"

You felt your smile falter when you heard the voice of Revali. You sighed and tore your eyes away from the colourful sky to see Revali leaning against the outer wall of the stables.

"Gather the horses, please?" You asked Tirus, who obeyed, now leaving you alone with the Rito.

"Just admiring the sky," you decided to answer Revali in a quiet voice. You set you eyes to the rising sun.

"It is beautiful, isn't it?" He replied in a voice uncharacteristically small, as if to keep the conversation from any prying ears. You glanced up at him to notice he was watching the sun, too. "A sight I will never grow tired of." 

You didn't feel the need to answer. Though you had limited interactions with the bird man, this was the first time he wasn't being obnoxious, and you weren't about to jinx it with conversation. You decided to mutually enjoy the morning, until his voice piped up again.

"I don't believe we've had a formal introduction." You turned to him to be met with a wing outstretched. "I am Revali, Rito Champion."

You glanced between his eyes and his wing before gently taking hold of his feathers. His grip around your hand startled you - you never expected feathers to be so... hand-like.

"I am Catherine, Royal Scientist." You introduced yourself in a similar fashion to Revali, then added, "I lead the team that discovered Vah Medoh and calibrated her."

He retracted his wing and threw up a brow. "Her?"

You nodded. You remembered Mipha had a similar question. "In addition to any pilot-able craft categorized as female, Medoh possesses a particularly... feminine spirit. Or so I felt during my time aboard her." You lifted your gaze to the perched bird above and smiled when you thought about your time aboard the Divine Beast. Any time around unusual creations had you happy, you found. "Medoh has a strangely musical soul. If you know how to play any instruments, I recommend serenading her."

"You speak as though she truly has a soul."

You shrugged. "Strange tech, that. The Beasts may not have been brought into the world quite as conventionally as you or I, but they are sentient in their own ways."

You heard the gentle whinny of the horse lent to you and you turned to see Tirus approach with the reigns of two horses in hand. As you took the reigns of your horse rom his grasp, Tirus handed you a small, brown bag. "Nuts and dried berries, Mistress. For breakfast."

You nodded in thanks to Tirus. Once all your equipment, and bedding for a possible overnight stay out in the wilderness was packed, you mounted your horses. You had hoped an overnight stay was not the case, as you would have to miss your date with Ta'viti. Revali stood expectantly, wings crossed, staring, until you asked, "Where is your horse?" 

The bombastic bird scoffed. "Do you really think I would own a horse?"

You shrugged. "Why not?"

Eyes bulging with bewilderment at such an idiotic question, Revali snapped his wings wide open. Oh. You felt your cheeks redden with embarrassment.

"You'll just have to ride with Tirus or I. Take your pick."

After giving a quick glance over the both of you, Revali approached your horse. Just as you scooted forward to make more room for the bird, Revali nicked the Sheikah slate from your hip. You lunged forward for the slate but he stretched it from your reach.

"Hey! Give that back!"

The slate shone to life. Revali turner his back to you to fiddle with the slate and pulled an identical slate from within a small thigh pack. Your eyes widened as you watched him perform a transfer between the two. After a moment, Revali returned your Sheikah slate.

"You were given one, too?" You asked him. You searched through the information stored on the Sheikah slate and found there had been a copy and transfer in saved co-ordinates.

"Considering Medoh has power terminals that require a Sheikah slate to activate, yes, I have one."

"Champions are not meant to toy with-"

"No matter," Revali cut you off with a loud declaration. After looking over his slate once more he pocketed the device. A satisfied look played across his features. "now that I have a location, I see no reason why I cannot get there first."

You watched as he took a knee on the ground and splayed the tips of his wings. You struggled to hop off your horse when your boot heel caught the stirrup of your right foot. "Revali!" You raised your voice above the sudden whirlwind surrounding him. With one foot on the ground you attempted to shake your foot free from the flexible leather stirrup. "Revali-"

Your arms flew up to protect yourself from the wall of dirt sent your way when the Rito took off from the ground with great speed. You watched Revali soar through the sky and twirl on the wind; it was clear he was putting on a small show. Despite being angry with him you were mesmerized by the fluid movements and and elegance in his calculated dance. With one last spin, Revali darted off over one of the many smaller mountains dusting the region.


	3. I’m Sorry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spelling errors. I’ll proof-read when I have time.

Another violent shiver wracked your body. The path ahead was clouded by sweeps of snow on the wind and your own condensed breath, and the topographical map on the Sheikah slate did little to help when the snow storm rolled in and you had lost your way. You pocketed the Sheikah slate and looked around, finding only the faint silhouette of Tirus and his horse ahead of you. Before the storm rolled in, several ice-coated lizalfos littered the path, but once the air was flooded with snow they were just as lost and confused as you. 

You pulled your scarf down from covering your nose and mouth. "Tirus!" You shouted above the wind. "Tirus, halt!"

The silhouette stopped its movements. He heard me, thank Hylia. You pulled your horse forward to stop beside your bundled up guard. He in turn pulled his thick scarf down. "Yes, Mistress?" He shouted.

You brought the slate back into view, the light penetrating the endless white. You showed him the map but there was no indicator suggesting where you could be.

"We're lost!" Between the freezing air, lack of altitude and all the shouting you had done prior, your voice felt incredibly sore.

"Where is that damned champion of yours?"

"He doesn't matter anymore!" You screamed. "We have-" Your hand flew to your voice. It was beginning to deteriorate and soon you would be losing your voice. "Shelter. Find shelter!" You hacked.

"Mistress, you need to give your voice a rest. If we-"

A black figure caught your eye in the storm, it's movements sporadic and quick. Unsure of what it was you screamed, spooking your horse that shot off without control. Snow kicked up where the black silhouette landed and faintly you could hear deep grunts and the clicking tongue of a lizalfos.

"Tirus!" You scrambled for the reigns of your horse and stood on the stirrups to pull with all your might, but your efforts were in vain. The air around you tumbled and you collided with the icy ground, knocking the wind from your lungs. Heaving the freezing air back into your lungs shocked you; your eyes grew wide and darted around. You clawed at your neck but you could only inhale so much oxygen.

Something sliced through the air and thumped heavily just beside your head. The familiar growl alerted you to the overgrown lizard honing in on you. You rolled backwards onto your knees, barely avoiding the metal claymore just inches from your nose. You lunged forward onto your hands as the Lizalfos reared to strike again, but like an animal you crawled away on all fours. Eventually you found enough friction in the snow to weakly stand onto your feet, but behind you the Lizalfos was a breadth away. You turned to watch as the claymore fell onto you.

The pained hiss of the Lizalfos filled the air. An arrow flew into the side on the creature, deep enough to distract it from you to go after the source.

"Run!" You could faintly hear the voice of Tirus, and without question you ran away from the clattering of steel.

Around you the world spun as you stumbled through the high snow. You would trip every now and again on frozen chunks of dirt or rocks frozen beneath the thick blanket of snow, but eventually you escaped far enough away that the sound of battle was long gone. You wrapped your scarf around your nose and mouth again and folded your arms so tightly around your chest. Your pointed ears stung in the cold and the once biting cold turned to numbness and you could no longer feel anything beneath your knees. You had no idea how long you were trudging through the snow.

Something caught your toe once again and instead of collapsing to your knees you were sent forward over the edge of something. You felt weightless momentarily before colliding into the cold ground. You tumbled down the slope you fell upon, feeling every sharp object embed itself through your outer layers and into your tender flesh. You no longer had the energy to cry out, only grunt with each impact.

You eventually felt yourself slow to a stop. You opened your eyes you had squeezed shut the entire way down what you could guess was a cliff face, only to find the blinding white had dissipated into murky steam. You let out a shaky breath to calm yourself. Around you the ground was covered in only thin layers of snow, and closer against the cliff face were several large bodies of steaming water.

A hot spring!

You pulled yourself up, only to fall right back down. You glanced back to your frozen, unresponsive legs. I don't have time for this, you thought to yourself and instead pulled your body forward with your arms. With every tug forward you could feel the warmth radiating from the boiling water, and hope flooded your heart. You were going to survive.

Coming upon the edge of the nearest pool you pulled yourself in and turned yourself so your legs were now engulfed by the hot water and you laid on your back. Slowly warmth crawled up your body, and soon enough you were able to move your fingers enough to grasp at buttons and clasps to strip layer after layer off your body until you laid in only your brazier and panties.

Thank goodness the slate is waterproof. You grasped for the tablet and lifted it to your eyes. There were several pools around you near the bottom of a cliff, and using your surroundings you were able to find your current refuge. Your heart sank. I'm so far away.

"Tirus..." you managed to whisper to yourself. You could see the storm atop the cliff still raged and clouds of snow were pushed off from the edge.

You felt your toes twitch. You looked down to your legs that were now a soft pinky colour. You rolled your ankle to test out your leg movement, then bent your knees. Relief flooded you, Thank Hylia I'm not paralyzed.

You looked back to the Sheikah slate, and remembered the particular Rito male that was supposed to be helping you. You gripped the slate as tight as you could, which was rather weak. You so badly wished to be angry but found yourself far too tired to feel much of anything.

A sad yet hopeful thought passed through your mind. You would have to apologize to Ta'viti when you make it back to the village. You will make it back to the village.

The heat from the pools and the soft bubbling was incredibly comforting, and the sound of trickling water lulled you to a state of slumber. Just before your eyes drifted shut, a blinding cobalt glowed from a dark hole beneath the cloudy water.

-

A soft humming stirred in your ears. It was pleasant, soft and low. You sounded familiar, like the humming of someone you knew. Light slowly flooded your vision. Above you hung a red hammock and planks of wood shooting straight into the roof of what looked like a hut. Your head spun and you felt incredibly parched from the heat of the water- no. You were no longer laying in water.

You shifted to get a better look at your surroundings, but your incredible sensitivity to light forced you to squint, blurring your vision. You turned your head to find a dark figure seated by your bed. They were the source of the humming.

You parted your chapped lips to speak but instead the intake of air triggered a coughing fit. The figure beside you stiffened and something soft cradled your head. A cool surface touched your lips and water slowly trickled into your mouth. You swallowed the water greedily.

"Can you hear me?" The figure asked. You nodded, immediately recognizing the voice.

Tears pricked your eyes. "Tirus...?" You shifted to sit up but two large hands laid you back down. Your head spun but you didn't care. You gazed into the copper eyes of your guard. "You're alive?"

The royal guardsman nodded and returned your smile. "Yes, Mistress. Here," lifting a tiny vial of red to your lips, you ingested the sweet, viscous liquid until every drop was drained. Your spinning head and ringing in your ears slowly settled down until either was barely noticeable. The intense light of the room softened to reveal it was morning. "Do you remember anything that happened?"

You attempted to recall what had happened. You remembered making your way through a designated path between several snowy peaks with Tirus, when several hours later snow engulfed the land and blinded you both. You were able to recall something attacking and scaring your horse to the point he bucked you off. A shadowy figure tried to slice your head off, but everything afterwards was blurry. You could only come up with flashes of memories, like seeing the pool of hot water, and-

You gasped something hoarse. "The slate. I dropped it in the spring. We have to retrieve it."

Tirus shook his head, his face awash with dismay. He gestured to the ground and following his gaze you spotted his left leg wrapped in cloth and a splint. You couldn't help but feel guilt for the state he was in. "I'm afraid I cannot retrieve it for you."

"Did... If you broke your leg, how are we-" You lift yourself up incredibly slow to take a greater look at your surroundings. Other wooden huts were lined beside the one you resided in, all liner in a spiral. You recognized this to be Rito Village. "...How are we back here?"

"Revali." Tirus answered, his voice void of any emotion. "He found us and took us back."

This shocked you. You had assumed when Revali darted off ahead of you two he would have waited there dutifully despite his attitude towards the mission. He was haughty, yes, but ever loyal to the Princess.

Tirus groaned as he leaned over to reach for a box wrapped in ribbon sitting on a chest of drawers. "Here you are." he placed the box gently on your legs.

You pulled gingerly at the blue ribbon until the bow slipped and lifted the box lid. "Wow," you breathed. You lifted the top garment out of the box to reveal a Hylian-shaped down pull-over with intricate Rito designs woven into the fabric. Trousers and boots were also found in the box, along with three large feathers. You plucked the feathers out of the box to inspect their shiny, dark blue tone.

"Revali bought those for you, as an apology." Tirus rolled his eyes. "He said they would serve better than the winter outfit you were wearing, Mistress."

Were? You glanced down to find your brazier exposed from the heavy blanket. Heat flooded your cheeks and you quickly pulled on the thick coat. You extended your arms, looking the top piece over. It felt incredibly soft against your skin and looked like a cozy, handmade knitted piece. You couldn't help the smile that crept across your lips.

"How is your head feeling?" You turned your inspecting gaze over to Tirus, who sat watching you fawn over your new clothes.

"A touch sore." Your fingers instinctively touched your head, only to find your hair has been braided back. You checked your ears but found no feathers.

"I suppose you were in the springs for quite some time," Tirus mumbled.

"Tirus, could you look away for a moment?" Your guard obeyed without question. You pushed the heavy blanket off your body and sat up in the bed. You pulled on the equally soft trousers and boots, but found there was another accessory in the box. You lifted a strange corset-y object from the box and eyed it curiously. You wore it around your waist nonetheless. You did notice an awful large number of Rito wearing the torso cinching piece.

Once you stood you beckoned for Tirus to inspect your outfit. With a shrug he responded, "You look alright, Mistress."

Reaching into the box you pulled out the three dark feathers. "Did Tavi come by at any time?"

As your fingers worked to weave the dark feathers behind your left ear, Tirus shrugged again. "I was delivered as soon as my leg was stable, so unfortunately I have not been with you the entire night."

You hummed and played with the end of the braid. "Where is Revali?" You figured Tirus would know as much as you, so you shook your head. "Never mind. I'm going to go find him. Are you alright where you are?"

"I will live." Before you ducked out of the hut, Tirus called for you. "You should speak to the Elder, Mistress. He has words for you."

You stepped outside the hut and felt the cool wind brush against your face. You let the refreshing air fill your lungs and sighed. It was infinitely better than the harsh winds of the snow storm. Above you the sky was a bright, light blue and the yellow sun was showing its face. Around you members of the Rito Village went about their days, soaring and walking, selling and hunting. It was strange to think that moments ago, rather it felt like moments ago, you were worried for your life.

You looked around the huts near you but found none that seemed decorated enough to hold the Elder. You decided to seek out someone that might know where to find this Elder. Taking a left you made your way down the spiralling stairs, inspecting all the huts you were unable to do on your first day. Most of them were homes but the larger huts with multiple connecting rooms were shops, inns or blacksmiths.

You began to hum as you made your way down the village, but stopped upon spotting the beautiful yellow Rito speaking to a magenta Rito. You watched as they spoke, smiles gracing their breaks and the occasional giggle. Something in your heart lurched upon seeing Ta'viti, and you were sure a goofy grin had stretched across your face.

You decided it was best to visit her once she was done visiting a friend. You turned and immediately a blue piece of fabric tickled your nose. You stumbled back and heard a familiar amused chuckle.

You peered up to see Revali's green eyes. "I see you're well. How do the clothes fit?"

"They fit... fine." You answered a little too quiet for his liking. "Do you know where I can find the elder?"

"Might I have a word with you first?" Revali offered you a wing. You looked between his wing and his face, and just when you were about to turn him down he pressed, "Please."

Silently you took his wing in your arm and followed his lead. The entire way down the spiralling stairs you remained silent. You felt conflicted; he was the only one built for the terrible cold and he left you, yet he saved your life and replaced your winter garb with more cold-resistant clothing. On the other hand, did he not fly ahead you would not have been in that position. On top of that, you found him to be rude and arrogant. What exactly was there about him to be so boastful about?

Instead of lashing out, you simply asked, "Where are you taking me?"

"Somewhere private." He assured you. Silently the two of you passed shops and homes, until you came across a small, rounded goddess statue. A fresh wreath of flowers sat upon the statue’s head. How quaint.

To your dismay, Revali lead you further down until you stopped before a little pond of fish near the entrance of the village. He quickly checked for anyone making rounds, and when he was satisfied, he took your hands in his. Heat tinged your cheeks and tip of your nose.

Something about him in this moment surprised you. His eyes were no longer gleaming with confidence and his stance wasn’t tall. It disturbed you a little to see him this way, but you said nothing as you watch the champion close his eyes and take a deep breath.

“I,” He paused. “I realize separating us wasn’t the most tactful call. While my wings make me superior in the cold and in the air, and my eyes can see clearly through the flurried snow, I did not fully take into account that I would have been essential in the transporting of two Hylians. I apologize for abandoning you.” Revali opened his eyes and locked gazes with your own. “When you are ready we may head out and try again, together.”

You were stunned. After moments of silence so tense you could taste it in the air, your lips cracked into a small disbelieving grin. “Revali,” You began, your voice so much louder than the near whisper of Revali’s. “that- that was... an apology,” Despite your urge to chew him out over such an abysmal apology, you decided to take the high road. “but you are not forgiven.”

His wings fell away from your grasp. “What?”

“You are not forgiven unless you agree to help me find my Sheikah slate.”

His brows shot up. “Alright... Have you lost it in the village?”

“The hot springs.”

Revali sighed and pinched his beak. “Fine! Fine. I imagine it will be just you and I. Your guard dog had quite the injury.” A smirk graced his beak and he leaned in close - so close you needed to take a step away. “Don’t get too excited about being alone with me.”

You had just about enough of the cocky bastard. Reaching up, you grabbed hold of his blue ascot and yanked him down to eye-level, drawing a squawk from the bird. You attempted to mirror the smirk he once had. “The only reason I’ve been so polite to you thus far is because the Princess went out of her way to specifically ask me to use the kindest language possible.” Your smirk evolved into the sweetest, forced smile you could muster, and the look across Revali’s face nearly made you break the act and laugh. “You’re cute. Don’t make me cuss at you.” You cooed.

You released his ascot and watched him take an unsteady step back. It felt great giving him a taste of his own medicine. “Now please, show me to your elder?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I’m sorry if this chapter is poor in quality compared to previous chapters. I wanted this out ASAP because the next chapter would be so plot heavy. Thank you for reading!


	4. Inadvertent Affection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A filler-y, fluffy chapter that takes place after chapter 5 (or rather the next chapter focused on the main plot?). As always, possible spelling errors that will be corrected when I have time.

The wind blew across your features gently and the sun warmed your body. It was one of the rare days it became warm; spring winds rushed down the mountain face bordering the village, making for a beautiful day. The weather was dry and fair enough for you to dress in a simple dress you usually wore on your days off or moments in Hyrule Field, a spare lab coat you brought along, and flats. You tied your hair up in a bun and wore your usual glasses - not the weather-specific glasses you wear in extreme climates.

You sat in the grassy field near the horse stables with journal in hand and portable quill scrawling information about all the flora you found. Beside the paragraphs you would sketch a small drawings, then pluck a single flower off whatever plant you inspected and stored it in small containers you brought with you for samples. Occasionally, Vah Medoh's shadow would cast over where you sat and you would feel a slight chill in the shadow.

You peered upwards to a grassy hill behind the horse stable and spotted many different species of flowers. You made your ascent up the hill and dropped yourself amongst the fields of colourful flowers. Petals of muted blues, magnificent pinks and vibrant reds painted the hills rolling over towards Hyrule Castle. You plucked a particularly eye catching flower with a delicate stem and long, curling petals. You hadn't seen anything like it before. You quickly scribbled down your findings, all the while smiling to yourself.

While you preferred solace in a laboratory you couldn't deny that studying flora out in a field was your niche. You couldn't be happier - so you began to sing quietly to yourself. Deciding to take a break you studied the flowers for yourself as you continued to sing. Your eyes scanned the hills and every bit of land you could see from atop it; the horse stables, bits of the most surrounding Rito Village, the occasional baby Rito fluttering to and from the many pillars standing tall around the base of the village, and off in the distance you could see Hyrule Castle.

A bird-shaped shadow passed overhead again, but this one was too small to be Vah Medoh. Your eyes followed the dark patch up into the sky to spot the proud Champion dancing on the wind. Part of you had hoped he would overlook you so you could enjoy being alone for once, but another part of you wished him to down and pay you a visit.

You sat stationary anyway and sniffed the beautiful flower you had found as you watched the Champion perform aerial dives and twirls unlike anything you had ever seen. You were aware that Rito could fly themselves higher than their starting point with an updraft, but the Champion did so without anyway. It was truly a feat.

You watched silently as the dark Rito made his descent to your particular hill. He swooped down and elegantly landed on his talons. His eyes met yours and you nodded in his direction. You were careful not to ogle the incredible creature.

"Hello, Revali." You greeted him kindly. You were still unsure how to feel about the prideful Rito, but you remained polite. "It's a wonderful day, isn't it?"

You despised small talk, but ironically you had a knack for it due to years of reporting to the Princess. One would think you would grow past small talk in your time serving the royal family, but alas the Princess' mind was always so far off for any conversation deeper than that.

"Hello, little scholar. It is a nice day."

His reply was short but not unkind. You eyed the Champion as he helped himself to a patch of flowers beside you. You felt something unusual in his demeanour, but rather than press and scare the bird away, you took the next step and replied in the same kind tone.

"Have you returned from making rounds?"

"Indeed." He responded coolly. When he glanced in your direct to notice you studied the flower fondly, he turns his gaze towards the village and told you about his day anyway. "There has been an increase of monsters within the region - no doubt due to the Calamity, but I was able to dispose of them quickly, as expected."

You could feel his eyes on you again; expecting some kind of reaction or reply, but when you didn't deliver you heard a small hmph come from his chest.

"What are you doing here?" He suddenly snapped, causing you to jump. "Shouldn't you be writing reports as no doubt entailed in your job description?"

You screwed up your lips in an attempt to stop the onslaught of offence words. You then sighed, realizing this was his way of getting under your skin for pleasure, and you were not about to grant him such pleasure.

"Oh, I've completed my superficial reports. A more in-depth study will be conducted once the Princess arrives with my excavation team." You smiled at Revali who stared a hole into your soul. "Now I'm completing my other duty of studying flora."

A small smirk formed on his beak. "Perhaps the little scholar may take her findings away from my hill."

You shot up a brow. "Your hill? Do you own this land?"

"This," He patted the grassy ground. "is my proverbial perch. You would do well to remember and move along. I would enjoy some peace and quiet."

"So that's a no. Well, if the Champion would like peace and quiet, might I suggest he cease talking to achieve his goal?" His eyes bulged at you quip, but you quickly clambered on to the next topic. "I- I figured you would prefer to spend time on Vah Medoh."

"Of course I would," He hissed. You were certain he would reach over and slap the back of your head for insolence, but instead he eased back and sighed. "but this was my place to get away long before I became the grand Champion you see before you; back when I was just the best archer in all of Hyrule."

He soon fell into silence after that, and you watched as he leaned back on his wings and closed his eyes. You quietly piped up, "You know, I've heard the other champions say they could feel the soul of their beasts. Is that the same for you?"

He mumbled. You weren't quite sure what he said. You waited, and finally he spoke up. "I serenaded her, like you said. Medoh seemed to like that."

"I've noticed they each like something different," you spoke quietly. "Medoh loves song and dance, Ruta loves art and craftsmanship, Naboris loves storms and swordsmanship, and Rudania... I'm not actually sure. Perhaps companionship?" You looked at Revali with a smile. "She must like when you dance in the air."

It was his turn to throw up a brow. "Dance?"

"When you fly in the air. All those dips and twirls; it's like a dance." You turned your gaze back to the beautiful flower in your possession. You ran the tips of your fingers smoothly over the soft petals. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like it before.”

“Do you know why you haven’t seen anything like it before?” Revali asked you. You felt his question were rhetoric, but when he didn’t walk over your words you asked him why you had never seen anything like it before. “I’m sure you’ve heard my famous Revali’s Gale - of course you have - and it’s no secret the average Rito cannot fly higher on their own accord. However, I’ve created a technique to overcome this, we’ll say flaw, and best evolution itself. That is yet another reason why I’ve become a great Champion.”

An immediate response was to slap him, but something in your quelled that violent emotion and instead replaced it with one of understanding. He truly was a great Champion; never have you heard monsters entering the village due to his vigilance, and more and more archers have begun to crop up among the ranks. You noticed the others looked up to him too, and something in you made you wonder if he wasn’t this arrogant around the clock. However, you would never tell him you agree.

You thought it entertaining to blind-side him with a personal question - to watch him turn to discomfort. “What do you do for fun?”

“Fun?” He scoffed. “You think I have time for fun?”

You thought about how busy his schedule might have been. Now that he is free from helping you with your task, he would return to the daily grind. You laid the flower in your lap and looked at his emerald eyes. You tilted your head. “You have time for this conversation,” then a thought nearly made a giggle bubble up to your lips. “and time for me.”

“I did not land here with the intention of entertaining you.”

You wanted to push him. You scooted closer and pouted playfully. “No? Here I was, thinking you came to visit me because I’m cute.” You cooed as you leaned closer to the Rito. You smiled something sly as you watched him grow rigid but not move away. “Perhaps you’re beginning to enjoy my company; Hylia above, for whatever reason.”

Revali clicked his tongue before moving closer to you in an attempt to retaliate. “Are you so naïve to think I would enjoy your company? Of all the beings I would choose to grace with my presence, I would willingly choose someone who has trespassed onto my hill?”

You laid your hands on the small space between the two of you to prop yourself up as you leaned closer. “Of all the hills in Hyrule, this one belongs specifically to you? The one I so happened to seat myself upon?”

“Yes.” He bit back in a harsh, annoyed tone. His beak and your nose were merely inches apart when the sound of wind funnelled into your ears and the cold grasp of the wind sent shivers through your body.

Revali squinted at your shivering form. “Are you cold?”

“No.”

He clicked his tongue once more and a smirk appeared across his feathered face. “You needn’t be so proud to admit it. You Hylians are only adapted for cool winds and warm rays of sun. It’s a wonder you survive outside your realm.”

Funny, coming from you, you thought coolly and another shiver ran through your body.

“The Rito are highly resistant to the cold.”

“I’ve been made aware.”

“If you’re not done with studying your little plants, I will permit you to sit closer and bask in my warmth.”

You scrunched your brow in confusion. Not a moment ago you were tormenting him about liking you, and now he was acting as if that were true. He was a tough one to crack, you decided.

“You don’t have to be nice to me.”

“No, I don’t.” He hissed. “Now, would you like to be cold or warm?”

You weren’t actually sure. The situation had grown awkward and unsure and you would rather remove yourself back to the Inn, but you were not done documenting the wild flora that bloomed on the hill. “Warm.” You finally answered.

A satisfied look you wished to wipe off his face appeared before returning to his lounging position. “Good girl.” He extended the wing nearest to you as if to welcome you by his side.

You wordlessly scooted closer with your journal and portable quill until you were close enough for your arm to skim across his exposed feathers of his chest and find his wing to your exterior. You were surprised to find he really did radiate warmth. 

“You’re warm.” You noted, dumbfounded. 

You soon realized what an idiotic statement that was when Revali shook his head with disappointment. He saved you further embarrassment by not replying at all, and instead took to gazing out at the village once more. You silently returned to your flowers, and there you both would enjoy each other’s company until the sun had set over the hill.


	5. Strange Magic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y’all, when I said this was a slow burn, I meant it. I would also like to apologize for this chapter if it feels lacking - my mental health hasn’t been the best lately and cutting this chapter shorter than intended to start a new one felt better than to drag this one on. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

You collapsed onto the thick woven seating mat on the ground of the wooden hut and released the biggest sigh you could muster. For the first time in two days you had time for solitude; solitude that didn't include harm, and you felt exhausted. Tirus was fast asleep in the bed you awoke in, getting some well earned rest from last night's events.

You had only twenty minutes to enjoy this respite, and your hands itched for your quill and journal that you had lost along with your horse. Writing was one of the few things that recharged you after spending so much time around such exuberant individuals. What ticked you off the most about losing your journal was that you couldn't actively document your findings or cross reference earlier findings to future discoveries for any connection. You decided to sprawl out on the rug laying on the hit floor and stretch, popping your joints and spine. The only colourful person you could be around without being tired was Purah, but that was due to years of environmental conditioning.

"Snappity snap." You mocked quietly and giggled to yourself. A sudden thought came to you; you didn't necessarily need your journal for writing when the Sheikah slate could do that! It was a temporary replacement and you know you couldn't keep the slate, but it would do and it can take photographs!

The thought eased you somewhat. You began to ponder on your conversation with the largest owl you had ever seen. You were astounded when you found out that Rito didn't appear just hawk or parrot-like, but also owl-like and possibly many other avian species. You listened to the Elder whose appearance had fit his role far too well. It started with introductions, then discussing why you were there in the first place and what would happen if something was found, then the conversation turned into an apology from the Elder himself - much to the dismay of Revali, who had been present the entire time. As an apology the Elder offered to cover your stay at the local inn as well as health supplies to ensure Tirus' leg sets and heals correctly. You purposely avoided mentioning how Revali flew ahead instead of accompanying you two, much to his surprise you were sure, and instead said that he had lost you during a battle with creatures along the path. Elder seemed to believe it, but you didn't understand why you felt compelled to cover for the boastful Rito.

You closed your eyes. Instead of writing, the next best hobby would do; singing. Peaking over at the bed to make sure Tirus was still snoozing, you took and breath and began singing a very familiar song that always calmed you down.

Your voice carried quietly and smooth. Midway through your song a light tapping caught your attention and you squawked, sitting up and looking for the source. Leaning against the wooden doorway with his wings crossed was Revali.

"Am I interrupting something?" He chuckled.

Red blotted your features. "Yes." You responded curtly. "My twenty minutes of silence."

Revali rolled his jewel-toned eyes. "I have given you thirty minutes of silence. You will be owing me those ten minutes. Now, hurry along." Revali left as soon as he came. You scrambled to your feet and grabbed your small pack of food, water and additional potions, and sped out to catch up with the Rito. You followed him to the landing with the sigil that you now realized looked suspiciously like a bird.

You peered down at the Prussian blue bird to find he took a knee on the landing. You raised your brow. "Why are we not making our way to the stables? We will have to take Tirus' horse-"

"We are flying." Revali glanced over his shoulder at you expectantly. You pursed your lips in response and he sighed. "Get on."

"On...?"

"Ride. Me."

The heat from earlier returned and crawled all the way up to your ears, painting your skin pink. Revali shook his head and turned his gaze forward before mumbling something about your intelligence. You allowed his comment to slide and approached his kneeling form. You straddled his back awkwardly before squatting. It was unnerving to simply ride him, let alone put all your weight onto his back.

He sighed loudly. "Hurry up and sit on me."

You placed your rump fully on his back and lifted your legs to hold them at his sides. You leaned forward somewhat and grabbed onto the stiff leather material of his cuirass. He glanced over to you again, giving you a sly grin. "Hold on!"

A tunnel of wind seemed to appear from beneath you, sending your braid and any loose pieces into the air. Your fingers curled tightly around his cuirass until your knuckles turned white and you leaned into his back. You squeezed your eyes shut. Gravity suddenly increased and your stomach lurched upon takeoff. Your heart bounced around your ribcage and with every change in the air around you you clenched your teeth so tight your jaw ached.

"How are you doing back there?" You heard his taunting tone yell above the wind blowing past your ears. You were only able to response with a closed mouth screech. At your distress you could feel Revali laugh through his back. You managed to pry one eye open and, thankfully, was met with a sea of dark feathers.

"First time flyers are always fun to torment!"

Oh Hylia, no, please don't! you prayed in your head. A sudden scent invaded your nose; a faint citrus-y scent, almost like an Osage tree. He smells wonderful, you noted.

The Goddess above seemed to answer your prayer for Revali only flew straight from the village to the springs without any sort of fancy spinning or rolling. You felt your stomach lurch again upon landing, and once he kneeled down you took a shaky step on the warm, dirt ground. Once fully off your knees nearly buckled from all the adrenaline still pumping through your veins.

"Enjoyed yourself, did we? I have a habit of making first-timers weak in the knees."

You didn't even bother to look at him or give his smug remark a reply. You made your way over to the hot pools of water and searched the surface. Almost instantly you noticed a deep dark patch beneath the water. You rolled up your sleeves and fell to your knees and attempted to reach for the slate that sunk into the hole. Nothing.

Revali joined your side by the pool. "Are you sure you dropped it in here?"

You nodded. You slipped into the largest pool, the one you were currently at, and recalled the blue light dimming into darkness. "Looks like I'll have to dive in there. It shouldn't be more than a few feet." You reassured yourself. Yes, just a few feet.

You knew you would have to strip your clothing all and that's when the weight of someone's gaze felt heavy. You glanced at the Rito who stared at you expectantly. "Could you look away, please?"

Revali turned his back to you with little argument. "You bashful Hylians." He tsk'd. You were a little surprised that was all he had to say, considering he had to have seen you nearly naked before.

"If I could hide my privates behind a plumage of feathers like you, I would be naked all the time." You bit back as you toed off your boots and pulled your coat over your head. You were soon left to stand in just your underwear and you slipped into the pool. Upon hearing the water disturbed, Revali faced you once again.

"Do make this quick, little scholar. We have an entire day of trekking ahead of us."

"Cathrine." You growled. You paddled yourself over to the dark spot in the hot water. It's just a hole, you reminded yourself. It wasn't even that wide - only two of you across. Determined to retrieve the slate you had lost, you dove into the dark hole.

The minerals in the water allowed you to keep your eyes open. Your eyes searched the dimming hole; rays of light from above dissipating. You kept your arms extended as you kicked your legs and felt around the hole spastically. Soft dirt that fell away at your fingertips turned into hardened stone and darkness encased you. You spun around and clawed your way up the hole you now discovered was a tunnel when your lungs began to burn. You broke the water barrier with a loud gasp. You were sure Revali said something from the shore of the pool, but you didn't hear him.

"Revali, do you have your slate with you?" You swam yourself over to the shallow parts of the pool and crawled forward.

An grin played across his face. "I see that bashfulness is gone now."

Your felt your features flush and you turned your head away from him. "Just give me the slate, please."

Wordlessly you took the slate from his outstretched wing and brought the tablet to life. Your fingers worked the surface of the slate, and soon you could feel a presence hanging just behind you.

"I'm tracking the lost slate." You answered his unspoken question. "All slates are in constant communication. No, we're unsure why, so don't ask."

A three dimensional image appeared on the screen of what looks like a series of tunnels until they faded off the screen. In the centre of the tunnels glowed a blue, pulsating dot. That was the lost Sheikah slate.

"It appears to be... quite the distance down, but..." Your fingers moved the map around. Reservoirs of lava bubbled beneath the tunnels, but the tunnels appeared to branch horizontally, away from the lava. "If I were to dive deep enough I would come to a cavern void of water. The slate is just at the bottom of the curving tunnel. Approximately forty second swim to the cavern..." You mumbled to yourself.

"That's quite a while, for someone with the lung capacity of a Hylian." You glanced over at the Rito who stood with his feet submerged in the water.

You tossed him the slate and paddled yourself over to the entrance of the tunnel. Before you submerged yourself, you called over to Revali. "If I'm not back within ten minutes, come get me."

-

You emerged from the water with a gasp. With Sheikah slate in hand you swam yourself over to the end of a dark stone landing. Around you, the dark cave you now resided in lit up a soft cyan from the luminous stone deposits littered around the stone floor and walls. Your eyes scanned the dark cave and noticed a hole in the wall. That must be the connecting tunnel.

You sat yourself down on the warm, dark stone and brought the slate to life. Everything seemed to work like normal. You entered the camera application and took a test photo of a glowing chunk of luminous stone. The image came out crystal clear and an idea came to you - along words, you would take pictures to document your findings.

You stood to inspect your surroundings further. You approached the hole that would be in the same place as the connecting tunnel, if the map was correct. You grazed your fingertips along the rock and found the formation of the tunnel was semi-smooth with the odd riveting pattern as if a drill pushed through the solidified magma. This tunnel was man made, you thought in awe to yourself. What was it doing down here? 

You toggled a small light to project out the backside of the Sheikah slate. The dark tunnel lit up with the white glow of light. If this was man made, something must be down here. You pressed on through the tunnel. The walls around you seemed intact, and the small glowing luminous stones imbedded into the walls told you that this was no mining tunnel. With every step in the tunnel the white light emanating from the slate slowly turned to a cyan glow as you reached the other mouth of the tunnel.

Before you laid an impossibility deep cavern filled with the stones that glowed with soul remnants. Pillars stretched high into the crumbling stone and the air appeared thick with dark, magenta clouds. You attempted to reach out for the edge of the mouth, but you were stopped. A faint glowing barrier appeared with swirling sigils of a foreign alphabet that presented very few familiar symbolics; several characters belonging to the Gerudo and Zora language would blink in and out of existence, but not enough were present to make out the strange message.

Each time you pulled your fingers from the buzzing barrier that surged with strange magic the barrier would disappear - as if nothing were blocking the steep drop from the tunnel high in the cavern. You extended your arm to touch the barrier once again and snapped a photograph. I'll document this later, you thought to yourself as you knew Revali would be wondering why you were taking your time.

You re-traced your steps to the pool of water. With slate in hand you dove back into the tunnel and emerged nearly breathless. You peered around the misty pools and found the lack of pompous bird disturbing.

"Revali?" You called out rather quietly. He was your only form of protection, and with his presence gone you felt unsafe although it relieved your chronic headache. You kicked yourself forward until your décolletage peaked above the water. You began to feel slightly panicked, did he go down and get lost? "Revali?" 

When no one responded you stood from the hot water and wrung out your dripping, messy braid before wrapping and tying it up the best you could. Your feet sloshed through the murky water towards the shore where your clothing sat neatly folded on a stone. You shook your body all over in an attempt to rid the water droplets decorating your body before pulling on your clothing. As you pulled on your garments a funny intrusive thought entered your head; would you be able to use his wings as a towel? How soft would they feel?

You shivered. The thought was disturbing and abrupt, but you couldn't deny it was genuine. Perhaps Tavi's would feel better around you. You couldn't help but smile at the thought of her. Once this was all over you would finally go on that "date" with her.

Just as you managed to pull on the corset piece and secure it in place a gust of wind picked up around you. Suddenly the Champion landed before you with familiar leather bag embossed with the Royal sigil.

"My bag." You exclaimed happily before frowning. You lost your satchel along with your horse in the snow storm. Revali handed you the bag wordlessly. "My horse...?"

"At peace."

You lifted the firm leather flap that kept the contents enclosed and searched it. Your journal and writing supplies were still inside and the thick leather kept any moisture from tainting the pages of your journal. You clutched the satchel close after confirming the contents were safe and looked up at Revali. He appeared stoic and somewhat uncomfortable.

"Thank you, Revali. You didn't need to do that."

Revali folded his long wings and you noticed he was purposefully avoiding your gaze. "You conveniently failed to mention my neglectful ways to the Elder. Retrieving your lost items was the only appropriate way to settle the score." His green eyes glanced into yours quickly before escaping your gaze. "I can safely presume I am forgiven?"

You were silent for a moment. You had planned on not fully forgiving him if he helped you get the slate, as you felt it wasn't enough to cover for risking your lives, but this gesture of thoughtfulness made you rethink that. After some time of thinking you nodded meekly. "Yes. You're forgiven," You slung the satchel over your shoulder and brought up the map on your Sheikah slate. "but I can't speak on behalf of Tirus."

"Oh, we've settled that while you were unconscious." You glanced up suspiciously from the map displayed on the slate to the now regular grin Revali sported. "Did you know he collects all manner of alcohol?"

"Did you bribe my bodyguard with booze?"

"Please." he scoffed. "It merely came up in conversation; that thing civilized people do with one another - unlike some of that royal guard. The only natural progression was to offer him the finest cider the Rito can produce."

Electing to ignore his attempt at banter you brought up the co-ordinates you were meant to visit a day ago. The location brought you to the foot of a very large mountain, or what appeared to be a mountain. "It appears the energy anomaly is coming from the bottom or within the mountain - most likely embedded in it. Would you know where this is?"

You showed Revali the glowing map, and after little time for consideration he nodded. "I'm relatively familiar with the area. I can take us there this instant."

It took a half hour of flying against the bitter cold before landing at the given co-ordinates. Your assumption about the piece of tech being embedded in the mountain was partially correct. Frozen in an enormous chunk of ice fused with the freezing stone of the mountain, a massive creature of slender, elongated proportions stood still against time. Glowing cyan eyes rapidly blinked as if to look around before landing upon the two of you; it’s stare haunting. The gangly behemoth was indeed the technology you were in search for.


	6. I Don’t Know How to Feel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *raises from the earth* M’back baby.
> 
> Psst, go check out my other fics.

Red light blinded your vision and the sound of rapid beeping echoed through out the frozen mountains. You knew that sound; it was the same sound guardians make when they're targeting-

You spun your head towards Revali, reaching out for him. Time seemed to slow with each high pitched beeping that grew in rapid succession. A terrible stinging pierced your left arm, and suddenly the ground beneath you grew father away. Your free hand shot up to the area blood seeped from your arm and you screamed out in pain.

Bright red shrouded your vision again. "Revali!" You cried out when it's reticle trained on your squirming body high in the air. No matter how swift Revali flew, it has no issue remaining locked on your figure. Dread filled you when the deafening beeping fell silent, knowing the familiar silent moment before death.

A single click resonated in place of a "ka-boom!" laser blast. You opened your eyes - you didn't even realize you squeezed your eyes shut in anticipation - and found the single eye on the thing turned blue. You stared, waiting for the thing to act again until the searing pain in your arm demanded your attention. "Put me down!" You cried for the Rito again.

Revali slowly descended, taking care to set you down on the frozen earth gently; you both now stood far to the side of the mountain where the frozen thing could not see you both. Without so much as asking, he took your injured arm and inspected the bloody and irritated puncture marks that ripped when he flung you into the sky with his talons.

"I-"

"Don't worry about it." You cut him off before you could hear, you guessed, an apology. You dug around in one of your packs for a health potion when you felt the incredibly soft surface of feathers that wiped away the tears you shed in pain.

"We wouldn't want your tears to freeze," he remarked.

That "tender" moment was awkward for both of you. You gulped down the potion instead of reacting to Revali's attempt at comfort, and soon a swirling warmth flowed down your arm to the seeping wounds to stitch close the flesh.

"It didn't shoot." Revali said lowly to himself.

Although it wasn't directed to you, you responded anyway. "It sounded like a misfire. That thing has Guardian-like properties, and from what we've found in the Guardians thus far, the hammer must have jammed." You joined Revali's side who now peeked around a stone face protruding from the mountain to eye the tech whose blue spotlight rapidly searched from it's missing prey. "I've never seen anything like it."

"Are you suggesting that thing may be a Guardian?"

You didn't reply. Instead you took to studying what laid before you; a grotesque, slender figure as large of the face of the mountain, trapped within an ice wall that seemed to produce a peculiar layer of condensation. There's no way it's melting, you thought to yourself. So what could it be? The ice, you then noticed, produced a hue that was closer to sea water, and there was no way fractals of light from its eyes could make the ice such an even blue.

If there was one thing to pride yourself on, it was your determination to pursue answers. If there was one thing to feel ashamed of, it was that you didn't think practical situations through. You weren't brave - far from it sometimes, no matter how it may seem in certain situations. No, instead, a particular fearlessness you possessed for yourself stemmed from stupidity.

Without a word, you darted out from the safety of cover towards the encased creature. Revali's whisper-screams of unsavoury names fell on deaf ears as you made your way towards the closest chunk of strange ice, crouched and moving as silent as you could in powdered snow. The spastic searching of the creature had calmed to a slow, steady scan of the area in front of it. Glancing between the creature and the ice chunk, your gloved hand reached out and slowly caressed the unnaturally smooth surface. It felt like glass beneath your touch, but the temperature it produced was a slow growing coldness like regular ice. You removed your glove to reach out and feel the ice with your bare hands. Your slightly protruding nails touched the surface first, and when the usual coldness was felt you grazed your fingertips along the surface before a sharp pain pricked at your left hand. You jerked away and quickly scurried back to safety.

"And what did we discover, you Goddess damned buffoon? That ice is cold?" Revali spat at you the moment you both were concealed.

"It burned me."

You held up your glove-less hand for Revali to inspect. Black, charred skin covered the tips of four fingers. It didn't eat away at your skin like frostbite did, rather it turned the small patches into tough, leather-y keloids - like severe burns after they've had weeks to heal.

"It only stung for a moment." You noted. You pulled out the rest of the potion you were drinking and took a small sip to heal your flesh. Heat swirled and pooled itself to your fingers, but soon grew cold upon reaching your fingertips. The charred skin remained.

"I need to grab a sample-"

Revali grabbed your shoulders. "Are you an idiot?" His beautiful eyes were now wide in disgust. "As we are currently, you are absolutely ill-equipped to tackle whatever that thing is, let alone 'grab a sample'."

You scowled and shrugged off his wings and attempted to push past him. He grabbed your wrist as you marched back toward the creature and spun you around to face him. You searched his feathered face to find such an astounded expressions. "In case you need a reminder," He seethed. "I have been tasked to be a glorified babysitter, which means keeping you out of danger."

So badly did you want to remind him how he failed his duties day one, but the reasonable side of you held your tongue. That had already been settled. Instead of laying into him with your words, you pulled your wrist away from his grasp in retaliation. "Don't tell me how to do my job."

You didn't get far when a tight grip wrapped around both your wrists, forcing you to turn towards Revali. You hissed in pain when something swift and sharp tapped your forehead, almost like a needle puncturing skin. You tried to jerk your hand away to apply pressure to the sore spot, but when he didn't let up his grasp you opted for rubbing your forehead against the leather cuirass strapped to his chest.

"Did- Did you just... peck me?"

Appearing startled himself, Revali slightly hesitated before giving an affirming nod. "Yes. I did, and I'll not hesitate to do it again if you do not listen to me when I say that going near that thing is the most idiotic thing you could do." 

Noticing the anger that blazed behind your eyes, Revali coughed quickly before carrying on. "Look at your hands." Pulling both your wrists down and turning them gently, he brought your fingers closer your face. "We have no idea why it burned your flesh, and because the healing potion failed to cure your ailment, it's obvious no regular means of healing will work with this strange magic." His eyes locked into your own. "It's illogical to put yourself in further harm when there are others who can safely take samples."

His eyes quickly glanced between your own and the top of your head. "We have to go, anyway. You'll catch your death with a ball of frozen mop sitting on your head."

You opened your mouth to refute, despite the exhaustion that arguing with him caused you, but he cut you off with a sigh and an eye roll.

"Your brilliant mind and admirable sense of duty is astounding, truly," he waved his wing in a dismissive way. "but don't let those distract you from your limits."

The Rito left you little room to argue when he positioned himself so that you may climb aboard and take off back to the village. The fly back was long and silent, but not the hostile sort as you imagined it would be. Revali landed on his usual flight deck and, with a grin and mock bow, bid you farewell to join the night guard in their duties.

You slid a hand to your hair and found it had become frozen where the mineral water was still soaked in your hair. You made your way to the Inn to find Tirus seated on his neatly made bed, inspecting a rather large chunk missing in his claymore along one of the sharp edges. He didn't look pleased.

Your presence pulled his attention from his sword. "Good evening, Mistress. I take it the retrieval went well?"

You slung your satchel onto your own made bed and began untying the corset piece. "The retrieval went sub-par." You mumbled as you stripped yourself down to the small shirt beneath and just the down trousers. Thick cloth that was usually rolled up during the day now extended and tied down to cover the "windows" of the Inn, so the air was warm. "The ancient piece of technology we were meant to retrieve was... disturbing."

Tirus place his sword away to focus all his attention onto you. "What was it?"

You shrugged and plopped yourself down on your bed that sat across from Tirus'. Just thinking back to it caused you to shiver and your stomach lurch. "It was... It was so large. It looked like it has spindly, long legs and fingers, with a thin spine, but it was definitely Sheikah technology. The glow and targeting system was identical to that of a Guardian."

"Targeting? Were you able to deactivate it?"

You shook your head. Your fingers worked your frozen hair in an attempt to free it from the glazed ice that formed between locks. "It was concealed in ice. It wasn't able to fire off properly, so it's safe to conclude it's damaged."

"What's our next move?"

You sighed, irritated as you pulled tangles from your bun. "Contact the Princess requesting a field team along with any guards trained against guardians, along with an excavation team. Perhaps I request that Purah is pulled from her current site and dropped here for further evaluation." Amidst your struggles with your hair you eyed Tirus' leg. You noticed the splints were now replaced with a tightly bound wrap. "How is your leg?"

He wiggled his bare toes that peaked out from the wrap. "Feeling has returned and motor functions are sufficient, but putting pressure on it is advised against. The healing potions are working wonders."

"Perhaps we should have left you in the spring for a couple hours. I turned out fine." You lightly jested as you finger detangled the delicate knots in your hair.

"Thankfully." He breathed. "The blood that was matted in your hair when you were found, and the trail you left behind, suggests you split your head open on a rock."

You cringed. The thought of searing pain and leaking blood made you sick. "Hey, maybe let's not talk about this anymore. For some reason imagining my near death doesn't sit so well with me."

Tirus chuckled. "As you wish. I noticed you found your bag, along with the horse?"

You shook your head. "No. From what I assume, Revali must have had to put her down; poor girl." Once you finally shook out the remaining knots you searched around in your other bags for your comb. "Between snow storms, frozen eldritch-like horrors and monsters hiding in the snow, I do believe I'm beginning to miss the laboratory."

There was a moment of silence before Tirus spoke up. "Mistress?"

"Yes?"

"As you know, those serving as guards are given rotations of duty, and soon it'll be time for me to take mine for three months." Tirus' eyes averted yours down to watch as his finger played with the sleeves of simply woven shirt used as a layer beneath his regular armour. In the time you've come to know Tirus from field missions past, you easily recognized his body language and knew he was somewhat uncomfortable with what he was about to propose. "I understand those with more flexible schedules like your own are granted to take leave whenever they wish, so long as someone takes their place in that time.... I remember you told me about a missing brother."

You sighed. Anytime someone brought up your brother, it brought back bitter memories of your teen life. Your hand flew to pinch your brows in frustration. "He's not missing, Tirus."

"You don't know where he is."

"I do." It took great effort not to snap at your bodyguard. You understood he cared about your well-being, and the longer you stayed together you began to care about his; so much so, the captain took notice and assigned him for all your field work. "He's out there - out roaming Hyrule. Living the life he was meant to live."

"That doesn't mean-"

"Stop." Your voice was forceful but not unkind. You stared hard into Tirus' eyes as a deep frown etched itself into your lips. You just wanted this conversation to end. "He would be an adult now... I think. He doesn't need me to look for him." Your eyes drifted from his into the wooden floor of the Inn, and suddenly the world around you felt so vast and so cold.

"Ask me again when it comes closer to your rotation." You continued quietly as you shifted your things around in the bed and lifted the heavy plush blanket to snuggle beneath. "Goodnight, Tirus."

"Goodnight, Catherine."

It wasn't long before you drifted off into a dream so deep that the usual flapping of cloth didn't make you stir - until you heard a quiet plea in your left ear. You shot up from your bed, kicking the woven sheets and heavy comforter off your body in a hurry. 

"Who's there?" You questioned softly, knowing the stars still hung high in the sky and you would hate to interrupt Tirus' needed rest. Your eyes darted around to find no one except your bodyguard snoring in the bed across from you and the Inn keeper fast asleep in the hammock above your head. Suddenly a fleeting cry flew past your ears toward the doorway to the village, causing your heart to jump in your ribcage. You quickly pulled on your wool knit socks and down pull over that was gifted to you, and scrambled for a candle and matches in your bag. You silently scurried for the outside world to find the wind from earlier had calmed significantly, but the bitter cold still nipped at the edges of your pointed ears.

Another cry caught your attention and quickly you lit the candle to illuminate the dark steps in the night. The voice carried you up step after step, until you found yourself at the painted flight deck. Your head whipped around but found no one, not even a single guard.

"Hello?" You called out to the darkness encircling the faint orange glow of your candle. You remained in a single spot as you looked out to the flight deck, only to find no one would respond. Having quite enough of the cold night air, you turned to head back towards the Inn, shaking off the voice as a stress-induced hallucination. As you took a step back something blocked your path. You fumbled with your candle on impact and yelped in the sudden collision, making you drop your candle that rolled away from you somewhere far enough for the light to disappear.

"My apologies! I didn't-"

But a tutting noise stopped you. "Shouldn't you be in bed, little scholar?"

You turned your head to inspect the figure before you, and sure enough Prussian blue feathers shined in the pale white light of the moon that peaked through a veil of clouds. You jumped back, startled by the way the moon made his feathers glow but his eyes darken to black. In hindsight, it would have been logical to use the Sheikah slate as a light source than a candle.

You were hesitant to speak. "I thought I heard someone cry for help... Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"I'm returning from nightly rounds." He said. Upon noticing your lack of boots, Revali sighed. "You didn't even bother to wear anything more than thin wool on your feet. Do you intend to catch a cold?" Before you could answer Revali pushed past you with a huff. "Off to bed with you-"

"I won't be able to sleep."

That seemed to stop him in his tracks. Tilting his head with intrigue, Revali glanced back at you over his shoulder. "Why not?"

You brought your gaze to your hands that twisted themselves in your down pullover. Images of crawling shadows and breathtaking anxiety filled your body, causing you to shiver.

"I'm heading to my abode for a meal." He said suddenly, bringing your gaze back to up him. "You are permitted to come along." Not waiting for your answer, Revali continued his way spiralling up the village. It took you only a moment to mull it over, but ultimately decided to run back for your journal and portable quill and join Revali in a warm meal.

-

The warm orange glow from the fire pit that sat in the centre of the floor bathed the enclosed hut, and the gentle smell of lightly seasoned fish welcomed you in. Revali gave you a quick glance before nodding to the floor cushion across the pit as he tended to the fish that simmered in the pot set above the flames. You took your seat on the cushion and decided to make yourself more comfortable by pulling your hair loose, allowing it to tumble past your shoulders. The warmth of the fire clashed against the freezing air outside that made you appreciate Revali's offer of food.

The Rito said nothing as you opened your journal and began to scrawl scattered pieces of your dream; creatures of some sort roaming around in the darkness around you, and pleading voices echoing out to you. Just thinking back to it made your skin crawl - almost like an itch.

“Are you set to return home tomorrow?”  
You lifted your gaze to see Revali staring at you with a look you couldn’t quite understand.

“No. I must show the team where it is we found the thing, then I may return to the castle.”

As he began to section out the fish and place them onto clay dish ware, he asked a sudden and strange question.

“Where do you hail, scholar?”

Your fingers halted themselves from further writing. You weren’t sure how to feel about the unusual personal question. You hesitantly reached for the plate he offered with your bit of spiced fish. No fork was offered or requested, as you were sure they would be useless tools to the Rito.

“...Why do you ask?”

“You look taller than the usual Hylians at the Castle,” He remarked casually as he lifted his fish up by the tail. “save for your guard dog.”

You quickly glanced away before you were given the unfortunate chance of watching him swallow the fish whole. It was easy to forget how startlingly bird-like the Rito really were besides their exterior.

“Most people from my village are tall and wide, and quite tan.” You answered as you picked away scales of the fish with your fingers to get to the meat. It wasn’t an ideal way to eat, but you weren’t about to turn down free food just because you weren’t used to eating with your fingers anymore.

“Tan? You?”

You shot him a unimpressed look. “Being cooped up in a lab each day and night doesn’t exactly help with melanin turnover, but yes, I tan very easily. I can get almost as dark as Tirus.”

“You’re from the same village, then? How interesting.”

“Lurelin. It’s a village along the southern coast.” You popped a chunk of the tender flesh into your mouth. The spices found around Rito village and the mountains gave the meat an almost earthy flavour. “Not that it’s any of your business.”

You were unsure whether it was the stress or exhaustion taking its toll on you, but the intensity of Revali’s stare and his presence weighed heavily on you; you noted, however, it was unlike his usual vibe he radiated. Something felt off.

“Perhaps that will be one of the many places I visit once this whole Calamity ordeal is finished.” He mused. Having finished his meal he lounged against the throw pillows laying against the wall of the hanging hut. “I can expect every stead I visit to know of my greatness.”

You tried to gobble up the rest of the fish in a timely manner that doesn’t seem like rushing so you could escape Revali’s day dream. His pompous yet aloof behaviour bothered you to quite the degree, but not for the reason you figured it would. His behaviour, now that you thought about it, felt thin.

“Don’t count on it.” You said between bites of fish. “The Rito, however? I’m more than certain your name will be famous.”

His dream-like expression faltered. “Are you suggesting the other Champions’ will be more notable than I?”

“To their own people, yes,” You pushed aside the clay plate that now held the bony remains of the fish. “but that doesn’t make you any less great.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So! This chapter was meant to be four times longer, but due to better pacing and world building, I figured it best to divide it into parts. I’ll see you in the next chapter soon!


	7. The More I Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You thought it was a plot-driven chapter, but it was me! Filler chapter!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please excuse any mistakes. I just wanted this out ASAP for you lovelies, and so I can finally introduce Zelda next chapter!  
> Thank you all so much for being patient!

You shot up from your nest of blankets and pillows scattered around you. The sun shone through the transparent fabric tied over the open spaces in the walls. Your eyes darted around to find any life, but found yourself to be alone.

"So, you finally admit that you think I'm great?"

You heard his voice flash in your head. Your cheeks blossomed bright pink at the memory of last night - but you knew there was no time for that. By the way the sun hung in the sky you knew you overslept and the mail service would be leaving soon. Scrambling to get your journal and quill together and smooth out your bed head as best you could you leapt from your nest, only to find you had shed your layers some time in the night down to your smalls. Having no time to worry you quickly threw on your outer clothing and dashed out of the hut.

You jostled your journal to one hand and pulled off the quill cap with your mouth as you ran. You failed several times to co-ordinate writing and running down steps and found yourself smearing the ink on some words and brushing by some Rito that thought it best to populate the middle of the stairs.

You dashed across the swinging bridges, feeling the comfortably cool wind blow through your hair. The stables were just within reach! You scrawled a farewell at the bottom of your letter, which you decided to leave out the detail about the cavern, and folded the paper neatly. Once at the stables you purchased a blank envelope and scrawled the addressed on the back before shoving it into the arms of a tall and thin, black hawk-ish Rito. You decided it was courteous to prove him with a few extra rupees as a tip.

"Mistress?"

The very familiar voice of your bodyguard pulled your attention away from the burning of your thighs. Standing in the entrance way of the stables with bridle in hand stood Tirus, with a rather questionable look upon his face. He didn't sport his armour - only his trousers, boots and thin long sleeve usually worn beneath the plates of steel.

"Oh," you huffed out and offered him a very lazy wave. "fancy seeing you here."

Tirus raised a thick brow. "You didn't see me when you ran by?" Before you could answer, Tirus' mouth hung agape. "Where- Where are your shoes...?"

You looked down to see your white wool socks were now caked with nearly black mud. "The Inn." Between the rushing and the memories of last night you were attempting to suppress, your shoeless outfit added to your defeat.

You followed Tirus out of the stables toward a small pen to keep his horse, with a heartbreakingly empty spot beside it. "You didn't think it wise to bring them with you to Revali's home?"

You nearly sputtered at his words. "How did you know I was there?" Your attempt to suppress last night was failing as little snippets of the night flooded your mind, and you couldn't help the red that rushed to your face.

Tirus chuckled at the sight of your cherry complexion. "He stopped by and informed me you weren't feeling the best and decided to spend the night with him." Although no longer laughing, the smile seemed permanently screwed to Tirus' face as he took the brush from the horse's saddle bag and began to brush.

You were most certainly not in the mood for this conversation. "I, ah... I have to go."

You could hear Tirus call your name as you sped off over the bridges again and towards the Inn. You weren't sure if it was your embarrassment or your speed walking that caused you to break out into a sweat, but once inside you ditched your muddy socks and opted to wear your boots without them and shimmied out of your pullover. Between your body heat and the warm sun, wearing just your down trousers as any real cold protection was enough to protect yourself from getting sick. Feeling the wind over your torso and through your tight undershirt did wonders to clear your mind.

Until you realized you left a mess in Revali's home.

Damn it, you cursed to yourself. You really didn't want to go back there lest he show up to humiliate you. You left your journal and quill and said good-bye to the lovely Inn keeper before heading out and retracing the familiar path you took last night when you chased after the phantom voice.

Halfway up the stairs, a vision caught your eye. Just through the valley far beyond you could see the incredibly tall spires of Hyrule Castle. At the sight of the castle you grimaced, and that internal itch surfaced on both your palms. Thankfully, a sweet bird song stole your attention to below. Two birds; one a familiar yellow and the magenta bird from the day before sat on a blanket on one of the grassy top stone pillars that extended from the moat beneath the village. The yellow one, you knew as Ta'viti sang beautifully as the magenta bird nuzzled her head into Ta'viti's chest.

Your heart sunk as you watched the love birds mimic what would be a Hylian kiss and nuzzle one another. Rather than subject yourself to more heartache, you took off faster towards Revali's home. It had been quite some time since someone made you feel giddy in the right ways, and not always do you have the privilege to leave castle grounds and meet new people. It wasn't everyday someone welcomed you as openly as Ta'viti; who complimented you, paid you special attention and was a joy to talk to, in the short time you've known her.

"Birds," you muttered quietly to yourself once in the safe solitude of Revali's home. "Stupid, sexy birds." Before you laid a tangled nest of blankets and pillows not far from the centre of the room, where you laid and spoke openly with Revali the night before. A flush instinctually rose to your cheeks. There was no point in pretending you didn't run into Revali's arms and lay your feelings bare for the asshole who always had an opinion.

You toed off your boots at the entrance and began to tidy the mess you left behind. The blankets felt light but were well insulated against the cold, and the pillows were stuffed with feathers that had naturally shed.

You were at odds with yourself, you realized. You despised the fact you had a civil night with the Rito despite the heated argument you had the day before, but another part of you enjoyed your time with him. You weren't sure if it was the stress of field work, or perhaps the stress of nearly dying, or maybe the heartbreak of a juvenile crush, but thinking back to last night made your heart swell a touch.

As you were gathering the blankets and pillows off the floor, a peculiar tome caught your eye. Sitting out in the open, atop a dresser covered in a woven mat, was a leather journal. Immediately devilish thoughts of invading Revali’s personal space entered your mind, but were soon quelled by the rational side of your brain. It would be wrong to read his person thoughts, you understood. But then again, was it even a journal?

You tossed up the mound of blankets and pillows in your arms the best you could onto the hammock high above. You took a cautious gaze around. The window covers were tied up to allow the sun, and anyone on the walkways, to peer in. You knew if you were to untie all the covers it would seem suspicious, and you wouldn’t be able to see anyone coming.

You steeled yourself with a deep breath. When no one was passing, you gingerly pinched the edge of the journal and tossed it open to a random section. Judging by the timestamped entries, your suspicions were correct - this was his journal.

You jerked your arm to slam shut the journal out of embarrassment and shame you felt for invading his privacy, until the timestamp on the page caught your eye. It was dated months back.

You glanced around again. The coast was clear. You hesitantly re-opened the journal. Only a passage, you told yourself. If it began to get too personal, you would stop reading. Yes, absolutely. You peered at the written text, and noted how neatly stylized his writing was. Even if he wasn’t in your presence, just remnants of him made you feel inferior, even if it was just handwriting.

‘I keep pushing my archery skills to the limit. My dive is ideal, but the ensuing ascent is not as smooth as I wish it was. I must return to the Flight Range again tomorrow. There, I will become stronger. Better. I won't rest until I succeed.’

The tips of your ears lit up a brilliant pink from surprise. Although it was an older diary entry, from before the champion’s ceremony, you never would have guessed his confidence was acquired and not at all innate. You scanned the rest of the entry. A small, almost dopey smile stretched across your face as your heart warmed at his following words. The way he wrote about allowing and potentially teaching the children of his tribe how to utilize archery was something you never would have expected from him, but now you felt almost glad you read his thoughts.

You pulled away and peered around. No one. You indulged your curiosity and pressed on through his diary.

‘They say one's soul must contain an incredible sacred power for a Divine Beast to recognize them as master. They should have just asked for me by name. To control the Divine Beast and defeat the Calamity...would finally allow me to prove myself to the world.’

You couldn’t pull yourself away from his words. Of course, through out the many entries arrogance was peppered in, but there was something... somber to his thoughts. His entries were swamped with frustration, self-doubt, and an unhealthy yearning to better himself.

Having felt invasive enough, you were about to close the diary, until your name surfaced on the next page. You flipped to that page and pulled your hand away. You played with your fingers indecisively. You already felt terrible for snooping, and you could argue that his thoughts about you were too enticing not to read, but... 

You shook your head. Absolutely not, you thought to yourself. You quickly slammed shut the diary and turned to race away from Revali’s hut, but upon crossing the threshold into the hut, you collided with something rather solid. You stumbled back to peer into the emerald eyes of Revali; and try as you might, there was nothing that stopped the flush in your cheeks of nearly being caught.

“Revali-“

The dark Rito stretched his neck over your head to gaze around his hut. With a disapproving tut and a stare that could see through you, Revali muttered, “Don’t tell me you only just woke up.”

Just as you were about to voice how offended you were that he would assume your laziness, his beak suddenly came very close to your face. His eyes squinted into slits as he inspected your form. With a quiet hum, Revali slowly pulled away and graced you with his usual smug look.

“I came to clean our mess, but it seems you’ve already done so.” He stepped away to continue up the spiralling walkway, but paused to glanced at you. “You Hylians are such delicate creatures. Not a day dressed in full down, and already you are flushed with illness.”

You could have sworn you saw his smug look turn into a cheeky grin before he took off into the sky.


End file.
